1. Technical Field
This invention relates to an ink jet recorder and an ink filling method for the recorder.
2. Description of the Related Art
Ink jet recorders are known that record an image on a recording medium by ejecting ink thereon from nozzle heads formed with nozzles. As an example of ink jet recorders of this kind, a recorder with main tanks disposed separately from nozzle heads (not integrally with them) is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. H07-47685. This recorder comprises a plurality of nozzle heads for ejecting different colored inks and a plurality of main tanks for storing different colored inks in correspondence with the nozzle heads. The inks in the main tanks can be supplied to the nozzle heads, respectively, by one-to-one connection between the plurality of nozzle heads and the plurality of main tanks via a plurality of supply tubes.
The ink jet recorder disclosed in the above publication is a so-called serial type recorder that ejects ink while reciprocally scanning nozzle heads in a main scanning direction (widthwise of a recording medium). Unlike this, another ink jet recorder is also known that includes a line head with nozzles arranged over the full width of a recording medium and records an image without moving the head.
The line head is a long member extending the full width of the recording medium and therefore it is difficult to make it in one piece. In view of this, a technique is also known to configure a long line head by aligning nozzle heads of relatively small area along the width of the recording medium.
For such a line head configured by aligning a plurality of nozzle heads, however, ink must be supplied from the main tanks to the nozzle heads, respectively. This presents an inconvenience in that the organization of an ink supply system is complicated.
For example, when a design is employed in which the nozzle heads are connected individually via a large number of tubes to the main tanks, provision of such a large number of tubes increases the parts account, leading to cost rise. Furthermore, since the layout space for the tubes between the main tanks and the line head is increased, the recorder size is also increased. Furthermore, in removing the line head from the recorder for maintenance or other purposes, the large number of tubes connected to the line head must be detached therefrom. In reassembling them, the large number of tubes must be in turn connected to the line head. Therefore, this design reduces maintainability.